1.26.2011

last stop

with a heaving sigh, she plunked her heavy form into the seat next to me, her clothes stinking of cigarette smoke like a cheap motel room. damn.

1.25.2011

stoke

after a painfully long dry spell, i packed up my gear and headed up the coast this weekend in anticipation of a strong northwest swell that had walloped hawaii a day or so earlier and was expected to march along california, bringing much-needed surf to our wave-starved souls. zuma on saturday proved disappointing, with mostly walled-out conditions and a few rogue bombs rolling through to clear out the lineup. on a longer journey the following day, i scored in ventura county at a fairly uncrowded spot that managed to focus the swell energy without offering up only closeouts. with a nice set rolling in as i pulled up, i had worries that it would be a rough paddle out, given my general lack of swimming stamina of late. but the waves proved a bit inconsistent, and i was more than happy to accept that fact, given that i only had to duck-dive once on the way out. a few monster sets caught me inside, but the waves weren't as steep as zuma and i easily ducked under most of them. storm energy is supposed to start fading through the next few weeks, so it may be a return to business as usual as far as this winter is concerned. so much for working on my stamina.

1.24.2011

eject

the bathrooms in this place are absurd. i fully understand and support the concept of water conservation, but these auto-flush toilets are creating more waste than a standard push-handle model. for one, the things somehow manage to pick up my presence moments after stepping into the stall, and flush at least once before i even sit down. after i stand up, they flush once again, but don't quite get the job done (i apologize for the image, but it had to be said). so i'm forced to hold my hand in front of the sensor, which has now apparently fallen asleep on the job. after a few minutes of frantic waving, the thing finally registers movement and finishes up the task. to sum up: at least three flushes per visit. hardly efficient in my book.

1.21.2011

jejune

along a tired stretch of venice, two young boys, not more than four or five years old, maybe twins, even, were being tugged along the sidewalk by their mother, their heads turning to stare at the world passing by, more interested in the auto tint shop and gas station than wherever they were heading. i marveled at the innocence of my own childhood, at the memory of climbing onto the school bus after the peach blossom festival in fresno with my classmates, having dutifully recited our christmas song or poem or whatever our teachers had plugged into our minds. i must have taken a seat near the rear, because i remember hearing excited chattering and giggles and turning to see a handful of boys gesturing and craning at the back windows. someone whispered in my ear, there's a condom on the ground. i joined the group and peered through the scratched glass, my eyes roving the asphalt for what i knew only as one of those mystical, recondite items associated with sex. where? i asked frantically, afraid the chaperones might conclude their headcount at any moment and signal to the driver to hit the road. there! someone said, pointing gleefully. my heart sank as i swept the pavement, back and forth, registering nothing except a greenish clump of shiny plastic resembling a deflated balloon. the engine roared and grayish smoke hazed my view of the parking lot as the bus pulled away. i laughed along with the other boys, feigning delight in our bawdy discovery. but i knew i had missed it, that i had missed my one chance to see this mysterious object, to finally be in on the joke.

1.20.2011

taut

surf is washing up on the shores of southern california, and i'm stuck in an office building. such is the life of a working stiff. after managing to successfully lock myself out of the apartment yesterday evening, with a good four hours before the girlfriend was due home, i decided to take a little stroll. now, mind you, this is after a solid 45-minute workout and a three-mile run. but heck, i thought, why not kill the time by walking to the beach in santa monica and back. which, if you add in the run, calculates out to 12.5 miles. a bit more than i had anticipated, to be quite honest. i'm paying the price today.

1.14.2011

doldrums

the air in los angeles has been scrubbed clean of late by plenty of rain and a bit of wind. driving along the 10 freeway and gazing north toward the hills and mountains of the san gabriel and santa monica ranges, one can almost imagine the untouched beauty of this place before man descended with asphalt and steel and concrete and plastic. and a few measly strips of sod here and there. of course, there is a beauty to the metropolis as well: the gleaming office towers lit aflame by the setting sun, the streaks of red and green reflecting on rain-soaked streets, etc.

fridays, while certainly welcome at the end of a long week, have a malaise about them, a tendency to let each minute slip away begrudgingly, clinging to every moment until the last gasp of the afternoon gives way to darkness.

1.11.2011

shaking things up

got a jolt this morning in westwood; nice little 3.1 quake in the santa monica bay. i didn't feel it at work, but the girlfriend said it felt like someone gave the bed a hard shove.

on an unrelated note, my thoughts are being punctuated by angry chanting and whistles from a crowd of protesters picketing the entrance to my building. not sure who they are protesting, but their signs decry unfair compensation and labor practices. it's a big building (30-something floors) with lots of employers, so it would be helpful if they included a bit more information.

1.07.2011

feudin juden

i think two of the aforementioned old jewish guys who ride my commuter bus in the morning might be feuding. where once they sat in scarf-clad tandem and murmured in hebrew (or yiddish?), now they sit at polar opposite, with nary a word passing between.

friday is upon us and it is good to have this week nearly in the bag. it's been such a drag readjusting to the early schedule after two weeks of blessed vacation. work seems to be picking up, and i got to interview a couple of folks yesterday, so i almost feel like i'm back to being a newsman. if only the job came with my previous hours. that is, stumble out of bed at a quarter to 10, roll into the office an hour later, and plug away until the paper is put to bed. with the occasional break for bodyboarding, should the surf be up, of course. ah well, the health insurance, 401k, bigger paycheck, and more vacation time will have to do instead.

1.05.2011

spare the air

its as if one of the old guys who hops aboard my commuter bus at santa monica boulevard every morning takes a quick rinse in aqua velva before heading out for the day. can barely breathe between the cologne fumes and the blasting heater that roars like some incontinent beast from the rear of the cabin. might be worth it to cave and find a monthly parking lot around the office. but that would be bad for the environment, and at least this way i'm not shelling out for gas and repairs from wear-and-tear. plus my employer graciously chips in on public transit expenses. maybe i can convince the dude to tone down his aromatics.

1.04.2011

here comes the sun

the warmth returneth. after one of the wettest decembers on record, we're finally back to that good ol' southern california climate. now is it too much to ask for a decent wave or two? looking forward to the next few weekends; my brother visiting and then back to fresno for a belated family christmas celebration. i'm glad to spread the gift-buying pain out a bit, though, especially with the transition to a new job and some delayed moving expenses. still lots to do on the new apartment, so there will be plenty to spend all this new cash on in the coming months.

dragging this morning. its a cliche, sure, but somehow i don't really feel alive until i have gulped down that first mug of coffee and spent a few minutes scanning the los angeles times site. after my body readjusts its internal clock to rising in the wee hours of the morning -- rather than, say, an hour with more than one digit, as was the case through much of my winter break -- i'll try to squeeze in a quick run before work. might need to pick up a few long-sleeve shirts and some workout pants though. bit too chilly these days for anything less.

1.03.2011

mmxi

starting out the new year with freezing feet in this downtown los angeles office building. better than sweating feet, i suppose, mostly for the sake of those around when said feet are pulled from their shoes and socks at the end of the day. rain appears to be clearing up, with the clouds slowly splitting into a patchwork of blue and white. here's hoping for some swell this weekend, although given the winter season thus far, there isn't much hope to be had.

the new job is trucking along. that is, plodding, really. slow days of late, but i'm expecting that all my efforts to stir up work are going to backfire when all that work finally comes crashing down. i'm giving this whole "posting on my blog" thing another try, but given my track record, don't expect much. i was almost surprised to find it just sitting here, unchanged since i left it. isn't blogging an outdated form of expression by now? sheesh.

rain brain

it's surprising how many people drive without lights during a rainstorm in los angeles. for all the drivers who flipped on their headlights in a show of responsibility, it seems as if half of those behind the wheel rolled out of bed with a death wish, choosing to hurtle along the freeway as a dark, oblivious missile barely visible to those around.